The present invention relates in general to donning garments, and more particularly to methods, apparatuses and systems for donning compression, pressure and other forms of support garments including for example, mechanical counter pressure garments.
A mechanical counter pressure suit (MCP suit) comprises a carefully tailored set of elastic mesh garments including a full body leotard that covers the torso, arms, hands, legs and feet. Developed for use during extra-vehicular activity in the manned space flight programs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the MCP suit is worn with a gas pressurized helmet and is designed to permit free circulation of blood in environments having very small or no ambient gas pressure, such as at high altitudes or the vacuum of space.
Gas must be delivered to the lungs at a pressure sufficient to ensure diffusion of oxygen into the blood to prevent the onset of hypoxia. In environments having very small or no ambient gas pressure, the gas-pressurized helmet of the MCP suit provides oxygen at a positive pressure, for example, at a pressure of approximately 4.3 pounds per square inch, or 222 millimeters of mercury (mmHg). However, blood pressure will rise correspondingly with a rise in the pressure of the breathing gas. If tissue pressure is not substantially matched to the increased blood pressure, then soft tissue can swell and blood can pool in low pressure areas resulting in edema and decreased circulating volume of blood. To compensate for the effects of positive pressure breathing, the MCP suit provides a mechanical counter pressure to the body that is intended to match the increased blood pressure caused by the pressure difference between the ambient pressure and the positive breathing pressure provided by the gas-pressurized helmet.
To perform the mechanical counter pressure function, the MCP suit is typically provided as a multi-piece, form fitted, full body restraint suit that takes into consideration the geometrical irregularities of the wearer. The MCP suit thus includes uniquely customized garments that cover the torso, arms, legs, hands and feet of the wearer. The torso portion comprises a leotard that is constructed of an elastic cloth, but may also include breathing bladders, non-elastic cloth, and one or more closure structures. The addition of closure structures, e.g., zippers, allows the torso component of the elastic leotard to be donned without significant impediment. However, no closure structure is typically provided for the MCP garments that are worn over the hands, arms, feet and legs. The absence of a closure structure combined with the pressure exerted on the body by a properly fitted mechanical counter pressure garment, makes the MCP suit, and in particular, the arm, leg, foot and hand garments difficult to don. Moreover, excessive and sustained tugging of the MCP garments may result in fatigue to the material, which may affect their mechanical counter pressure capabilities.